Books by Bill Palmer

If you don''t believe in Santa, you might want to reconsider. The familiar fellow dressed in red has been around a lot longer than the malls'' Santa, longer than Rudolph, longer even than "The Night Before Christmas." His earliest and most ancient forms brought hope and cheer to generation after generation of humankind-and he still has a message for us today. In the midst of the materialism of the modern holiday, Santa offers us a bridge between the physical, secular world and the spiritual, sacred realm. He calls us to remember the power of love to bring hope, even in the midst of cold and dark. Discover his history and evolution, from Ice Age shaman to medieval saint to modern-day icon. Get to know Santa-and believe all over again.

Now in Paperback! Early in 1971, Five Fingers of Death premiered in a New York movie theater. This was America's first look at a Chinese martial arts movie. In Chicago that same year, Duel of the Iron Fist debuted. With the release of Bruce Lee's films, the market exploded. And thus began America's love affair with what is one of the most misunderstood and maligned film genres.The Encyclopedia covers the genre from 1920 to 1994. The genre, however, can be very confusing: films often have several titles, and many of the stars have more than one pseudonym. In an effort to clarify some of the confusion, the authors have included all the information available to them on almost 3,300 films. Each entry includes a listing of the production company, the cast and crew, distributors, running times, reviews with star ratings whenever possible, and alternate film titles. A list of film series and one of the stars' pseudonyms, in addition to a 7,900 name index, are also included. Illustrated.